Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1887-06-17
PATRIOTISM,
Memorial Grafton, Mny 30, 1887, ut
Prn. n.rlo Dcn0t. Wood Co. ONO.

we meet to lay our floral offerings upon
the graves Of those who died for the
republic to immortalize the spirit of
patriotism. When men die to purpctu.
ate the institutions of freedom, TO ne.
move the last vestiges Of slavery and TO
give every man his social and civil hbera
ties, they leave kind of legacy to COM
ing generations that ought not to be
underva'ucd, The genius of our gov
emment speaks words of cheer and
good will to all men. Here from all
lands, the rich and the poor stand side
by side under the inspiration of COM
mon sentiment. Each man owns him
self by divine right and is proprietor of
enough of the heaven ebove and earth
| beneath 10 secure his independence.
| Thanks to the fathers and their sons
who suffered aud died to place each man
on common footing, and so it has
come to pass, that here in the last period
of the nineteenth century there is one
| spot on the face of the earth where men
are taught to call no man master and
can look each other in the face as peers
and up TO God as beniiicent ruler who
is no respecter of persons That kind
of patriotism that inspired the heroes of
the Revolution and the Grand Army of
the Republic could not be confined with
in any narrow bounds, The spirit of
patriotism opened the flood gates of
every generous sentiment When in
the mother country Lord North attemp-
ted to forge chains to bind the limbs of
her fair daughter signing for freedom
and when the slave master fired upon
Fort Sumter, patriots heard the voice of
the republic speaking memorable words,
'He that love his father or mother
more than me is not worthy of me"
Under the impulses of pure love they
left home and all its endcarments, in.
sensible to the seductions of wealth and
ease, forgot political animosities, shook
off sectarian belittlements and hastened
to the front to meet the enemies of con.
stitutional liberty. And when the fray
began and shot and shell and leaden
hail fell thick about them and thinned
out their ranks, they did not quail, but
met death as death comes to the soldier.
Do you ask how he could lie so still and
brave while the life blood trickled slow
ly from Lis death wound? Ask him.
Put your ear down close to his lips as
the angel of death sewers the soul and
body. Nlethinks he whispers "'Tis
sweet to die for my country" Then
after the storm of the battlefield has
passed over and the victor and the van-
quished meet together to dictate terms
OF peace, then comes to the patriot the
last and the most magnificent victory.
That is to pardon an enemy-an enemy
who has laid waste your beloved coun-
try, made many wives widows and
many mothers childless.. But then a
patriotic spirit is equal to any emergcn.
cy. When Lee surrendered to Grant at
Appomattox there were no hard condi~
tions. The patriot in the joy of that
moment, with country of such grand
possibilities saved, marched across the
bloody chasm and seized the rebel by
the hand and said, go, my brother, be
loyal to our common country which
cherishes us all as band of freemen.
That act of p ardon passed between two
military chieftains was worthy of the
occasion and worthy of great and
christian nation. 1t reminds us Of one
of tie most eventful scenes that was
ever recorded in the history of the world,
when an ambassador from a higher
court died to redeem his enemies and
cried amid the pains of death, Father,
forgive them for they know not what
they do" But however much this
nation may prize the spirit of forgive
ness the American people should never
fail to make a great distinction between
patriotism and treason-between patti
OTIS and traitors. 1t has been said that
as tokeu of reconciliation between the
NortifAnd the South the government
ought to erect national monument-
with the four distinguished Generals
Grant aud Sherman, Lee and Jackson
standing upon each corner of the pc
destal. Very well-let every effort be
made to lead the people of the different
states in this wide country East and
West, North and South, to feel that they
are one and inseparable, having one
common interest and in having charge
sacred trust to hand down the bless
ings of liberty untarnished to the latest
posterity. If such Il monument should
be erected let it be grand and true to
the historic genius and spirit OF the ma
ton. Let there be placed upon the top
of the shaft to II present the spirit of
the rank and file of the Union Army,
the erect form of the color. bearer who
fell at Gettysburg and said to his com
mo! Let me die right here under the
old flag" Let both of his hands grasp
the staff from which above his head
floats the dear old flag he loved so well.
Write upon its stripes in legible lines
this motto: "Down with treason, death
or banishment to traitors" Let Grant
and Sherman be in standing posture
with drawn swords, each pointing 10
the lines of the motto written upon the
flag. Let Lee stand IN STOPPING pos
ture with his left hand upon his face
weeping, and with his right hand grasp
ing the lilt of broken sword. Let
jackson be crouched in kneeling pos
ture behind stone wall. Do you say
that such monument would reflect
southwark. True, it would reflect tc
every point of the compass, North
South, East and West, and present al
object lesson that every American citi
zen should heed whether he be home OIL
foreign born. Is national debt of ovel
twenty hundred millions and the deatl
of nearly ten hundred thousand free
| ,,,o,, ,,, no,go f,r tanrrg A ,ntpipt X,